Deployment of SPOs for poll duty, PDP apprehends foul play, files compliant with EC

By NAK,

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed apprehensions that the ruling National Conference and Congress alliance is likely to rig elections in Anantnag parliamentary constituency, which is going for polls on April 30 with the help of Special Police Officers (SPOs) deployed in large number for the polling duty across the constituency.


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In a complaint filed before the Chief Election Commission of India, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti expressed concern over the deployment of “large contingents of a temporary police force, locally known as SPOs on election duty in the Anantnag Parliamentary Constituency going to polls tomorrow on 30th April 2009”.

She alleged that the State Government, reportedly, has drawn these SPOs from all the districts of the Kashmir valley to be deployed in Anantnag Parliamentary Constituency, “apparently with the specific objective of using them for some particular purpose”.

“As these SPOs is neither fully trained nor armed to deal with any law and order situation, there seem to be some suspicious intention behind the Government’s move of deploying SPOs in the Anantnag parliamentary constituency for poll duties in such large numbers”, the compliant reads adding that the move “couldn’t be without any beneficial reason for the ruling party in the State and the move could severely hamper the conduct of free and fair polls there”.

“Our party has already expressed its apprehensions regarding the intentions of the State Government and several instances of the misuse of official machinery by the Jammu and Kashmir Government have already been brought into your notice”, it reads further. (NAK)

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